take back the summer | part 3: a drive to the country

I've discovered that older I get, the less time I take to enjoy the seasons. Do you know what I mean? It seemed that when I was younger, there were these definitive things about each season, making it so obvious that change had occurred. Spring to Summer. Summer to Fall. It wasn't just the weather, it was a feeling in the air. A mood. It's been so long since I've felt that feeling, I can't even remember exactly what it was. But you knew it was there as soon as it came. When I was a child, Summer meant so many things-- hot, muggy days and popsicles, mosquito bites and dirty feet, fishing off the dock and bike rides till dark, green beans straight from the garden and the sound of crickets at night. All of those little things stuck together to form one long, beautiful summer for a kid. Now that I'm grown, I spend so much time thinking about the every day stuff, and when each season is over, I feel as though it had hardly even begun in the first place. I wish I was better at noticing those good little things again-- the beautiful, precious, fleeting things that make each season what it is.

This is the final post for the Take Back the Summer series. I'm so thankful for these posts, because each one has nudged me, little by little, to remember to enjoy the season. I'm so glad to have these records of our first summer as a family of three.

We decided to Take Back the Summer once and for all with a family drive out to the country. Because ain't nothin' more summery than a long drive down a country road with the windows wide open. {Extra points if this song is playing in the background, though any song with handclaps and a tambourine will do.} We stopped at a small farm stand along the way, one that I've been meaning to hit up all summer long. It had all sorts of just-picked veggies piled up just-so, and giant peaches from my homeland of Michigan. A sweet lady working behind the tables gave Ralphie a green bean to chew on, and he was in fresh crunchy heaven. The sun started to set behind the barn and filter through the trees, and everything felt just about perfect. The grand finale. Goodbye, Summer! 

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Brandon and Shelby | Shelby's instagram

Today is My Favorite | Nicole's instagram